South Korean blogger ordered to delete North Korean propaganda

SEOUL, Aug. 10 (UPI) -- More South Korean bloggers may be falling under scrutiny for featuring North Korean propaganda on their websites.

Police in the Namyangju district of Gyeonggi Province told an unidentified blogger by phone on Friday to delete all posts related to North Korea, local news network YTN reported Wednesday.

South Korean police took issue with nine articles written between 2007 and 2011 that featured North Korean propaganda statements alongside pieces published in South Korea's conservative press.

According to the blogger, police requested the articles be removed because they are harmful to young people.

Authorities did not say whether or not the blog posts were in violation of South Korean law.

Current law in South Korea requires an opinion from the country's communications commission before a blogger is required to delete a post.

It was unconfirmed on Wednesday whether police had sought an opinion prior to ordering the blog posts be deleted.

Seo Beom-su, chief of the North Gyeonggi branch of the National Police Agency, told YTN that requesting the deletion of posts is an everyday activity and not an exercise in censorship.

But experts told the news channel that requesting the deletion of posts without citing legal requirements is beyond the scope of police duties.

North Korea propaganda has been cited in the South for raising tensions through a war of words.

On Tuesday, Seoul's unification ministry denied North Korean statements that blamed the ministry for creating obstacles to peaceful unification.

Tensions are rising because of North Korea's nuclear weapons and missile development, the ministry said.